Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his personal struggle to become sober. However, he recently shared a previously undisclosed incident where he came close to receiving a DUI while driving under the influence.
In a recent interview with Elizabeth Vargas on her podcast, Heart of the Matter, Kelley openly acknowledges that when he used to consume alcohol, it became a regular thing for him to have "four or five drinks" while playing golf in a day, and then he would drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that she was driving home while under the influence of alcohol. The distance she had to cover was only 10 minutes, but there were instances during the drive where she realized how incredibly foolish and risky her actions were. The following day, she reflected on the situation and had a sudden realization that she could have caused harm to someone else or even lost her own life.
On a specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with being charged for driving under the influence. This incident occurred during the Christmas season, as he recalls, when his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days. With no family responsibilities, Kelley had the freedom to consume alcohol as much as he pleased. He spent a day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the evening, some other customers at the bar began expressing worry about whether Kelley intended to drive himself home.
He recalls saying, "I thought to myself, if I don't go back and drive, my wife will ask me where my car is." Even though I could have retrieved it the next morning without her knowing since she wasn't present.
However, with a strong determination to return home alone, he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and proceeded to drive away. Unfortunately, he was stopped by law enforcement during the brief journey back to his residence.
The police officer examined my driver's license and asked, "Are you the person from that band?" I replied, "Yes." Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and personally drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any punishment. I was amazed and relieved by this fortunate turn of events.
However, the occurrence served as a jolt of realization for Kelley, prompting him to understand the importance of informing his spouse about what had transpired.
The singer expressed their feeling of exhaustion and frustration, stating that they felt completely finished. They had just been pulled over and realized that they had come dangerously close to ruining their own life. Not only that, but they had also caused a lot of chaos for the band. The singer acknowledged that such a situation would have resulted in extremely negative publicity for them.
He made a firm decision to stop consuming alcohol and struggled for three months without giving in to the temptation. However, he eventually fell back into his previous habit of drinking. It took him another year before he finally sought help and fully dedicated himself to achieving sobriety.
Following his time in rehab, it didn't take Kelly much time to inform Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that the primary reason for postponing their 2022 Request Line Tour was to prioritize Kelley's newfound sobriety. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself. While his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, proposed creating alternative explanations for why the band was not embarking on the tour.
"I expressed that I didn't feel any shame about it and that being honest was important. This was the most difficult thing I have ever done. It would have been easier to continue drinking and destroy everything. I mentioned that I am grateful for this experience. That was when I realized that I should start sharing it. Since then, it has been gaining momentum in a positive and beneficial way."
There are 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. These artists have made the decision to stay away from alcohol and drugs. Additionally, there are
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